Naruto
by alexander r
Summary: I do not own the manga and anime fiction Naruto or anything related to it such as characters and names. Naruto is a veteran from Kiri sent to be a kid. Sakura wants revenge and Sasuke is a happy guy. an AU of Naruto with lots of changes,
1. Chapter 1

Hello, those who had the guts to give this story a chance. It's my fifth fic so far, the rest have been left on Hiatus, probably dropped, due to huge errors in writing and plot planning. I'm going to do my best with this one, it's a re-writing of Will Of Fire, the plot and characters are mostly the same but there will be some differences.

So here you have it, my newest story " Lotus". I do not own Naruto, the manga and anime series.

Chapter One,

Blasts of fire, avalanches and strong wind currents had turned the once prosperous Rain-country town into nothing more than a huge pile of burning ruble, amongst ninja were still battling. It was the second year of the Third Great Secret War, fought between the Leaf village and the Stone village. Since none of the Five Great Nations shared a border with each other, wars like this one were disputed on the lands of their smaller, less significant neighbors, in terms of military.

This town in particular was an important target for both sides, it was essential that the enemy be kept away from it so naturally large battle formations were dispatched. On the morning of April, 5th, the two groups clashed and night found them still fighting. Both sides had experienced fighters, shinobi that had spent years in the first line and knew their job well, it was a balanced battle.

Kasigi Hotaro, a Stone-jounin, would later write these lines in his journal, referring to the next part of the battle.

"_The whole place calmed down, the Leaf-nins were slowly retreating to the outskirts, organized, as if preparing for a quick counter. We left be and tended to our wounded, some rest was necessary. However it was not to last._

_After about an hour after we had settled in the town hall, placed guards and set up positions, kunai began raining randomly, like madmen were throwing them. They were not of the standard type, but with three blade and some sort of seal placed on the handle. Rather light too. Then, all of a sudden it stopped and for some precious seconds we thought it was over_.

_In my years as a shinobi I've fought against Lightning users, and even tough my Doton- Earth-style- is weak against them, I managed to win on several occasions. I know how they fight, I know their basic tactics, and I know many counters. This time there was nothing I could do._

_Bolts of electricity everywhere, flashes, people falling to the ground dead in an instant, dead. The whole thing lasted less than five minutes but when it was over corpses lay where once people were. My comrades, all dead, without even a chance to defend themselves. By some miracle I was spared. None of the strange kunai landed near me so I guess the attack couldn't reach me. I fled to the nearest of our positions, it was useless to fight now. In a few minutes Leaf-nins would fill the place._

_Later on in the war I heard many stories about isolated forts or towns being captured easily by the Leaf, with none of our own escaping to tell the tale. I had informed my superiors of what I had seen, I wrote a detailed report to High Command and even got a medal for surviving that place. I never returned to the front-line but now the strange technique was being used more and more. _

_As far as I know I am the only survivor of the Flying Thunder God._

In the history of the Leaf-village, dubbed Konoha, this particular jutsu –techinque- is considered one of the strongest, on par with many other legendary abilities. One man had been able to attain it, after years of hard work and then use it in battle with sounding success. He would later on be given the title of village leader, or Hokage due to his skill, the 4th one in a series of great men.

As big as his name was, as tragic was his end. Legend tells of a great monster who attacked his village, an epic battle between the hero and the beast and the end of both of them in a blinding flash of light. But those are stories of civilians, non-shinobi. We ninja have recorded history, we have facts and details and so we shall study this event with utmost priority…Naruto will you shut the **** up and let me finish the lesson"

At the back of the classroom, the one named Naruto, a kid with bright blond hair, blue eyes and orange clothes stopped himself from laughing and looked at the teacher in the eye. Beside him, another kid was laughing, this time dressed in a thick jacket with a hood on and a small white dog at his feet. If people didn't know better, they would have said the dog was laughing too.

"Sorry, sensei, Kiba and I remembered something really funny."

"I'll show you funny if you don't shut up. Let's see twenty." Instantly both were on the floor, doing push-ups as fast as they could. Sometimes, if they weren't fast enough they would get some extra, on and on until they fell. In a matter of seconds they were done and resumed their seats.

"You guys are really annoying, ever since you joined our class, Naruto. And in the last year, too. The exams are coming, unless you work extremely hard to catch up you'll fail. Personally I don't see how you might get to the level of the rest of the class, even with the 'private tutoring' you got." Some of the kids smirked.

"These guys are gonna have to work hard to catch up to me. Don't compare me with them, I'm way better." The temperature dropped as many prepared kunai and shuriken, locking on the target. Naruto felt it as well, he drew a tanto from his bag with a blur. Almost everyone was taken aback by his speed. "Anyone want a piece of this? I'm ready for whatever you brats can do." Now the chill was redirected, this time the aggressors reanalyzed their plan.

"I very much doubt it. You may have some reflexes but besides that, I haven't seen anything special from you. You're weak by my standards and if I were you I'd shut up and pay attention."

"Well, you're not me. I'm me and I'm gonna do things my way not yours. Sorry, Iruka-sensei but I'm gonna show you what I've got at the exams. You'll wet you pants." The rest of the students looked horrified. Nobody ever talked to Iruka like that. Nobody. For them, this guy was a dead man. "Uzumaki! I wanna see eighty! One hand!"

For the rest of the hour, the teacher known as Umino Iruka went trough all the drills he knew, all the most painful and tiring exercises in the book. He was going to give the brat a lesson for not paying attention in class, and he would learn it one way or the other. By the time the bell rang Naruto was breathing rather heavily but was still holding his ground. Iruka was frustrated." Stay after class, Uzumaki!"

After all the kids had left, the last being Nara Shikamru and Akimichi Chouji, Naruto sat down lazily in his desk. Iruka took a chair and placed himself in front of the blond. His face was serious, blank of emotions, his eyes fixed on the face with six-whisker marks. Naruto also took a serious face, he needed to be calm in moments like these.

"Ok, Lotus, I understand you're frustrated because of this mission but that's no reason to give off your cover. That stunt with the tanto, you were going to start a fight, and then the smart kids will know you're more than you say you are."

"Cut the crap, Dolphin, you don't know half of it. I'm going to kill myself if I have to stand this place any longer. All these stupid lessons about the 4th Hokage or how to hold a kunai are boring. I can't just stand around doing nothing while you talk about things every shinobi knows. I'm surprised you haven't quit yet."

"I guess it's hard for an active Core to be transferred and demoted to the Independent, but this is a mission and you will fulfill it. Hokage-sama gave you this assignament, you will do all in your power to finish it with success. I thought Ne training would make you understand the importance of devotement and determination."

"Listen, a few months ago I was in the trenches in Kirigakure, fighting to stay alive. The war ended and now I'm here, among kids who never saw death in the eye but who think they can be shinobi. All these punks talk big but can't even block a decent hit. And I'm stuck with them until I make Chuunin. The next exam in in two months but most likely the jounin won't allow us to enter. "

"Deal with it, Lotus-kun. A good ninja will do any mission he is assigned without complaining. You must be ready for anything, that is the life we shinobi have. Plus, you're a kid no older than them. I know you wanted more, maybe to be a Core jounin but now you are a genin-in-training of the Independent Corps."

"I'm not a good ninja. I'm a strong one. Good ninja do mission where diplomacy and stealth is implied. I was trained for heavy combat and survival in harsh conditions. I'm like a fireman at a pyromaniac convention here. I simply don't fit."

"Maybe that's why you were sent here. You need to learn subtle tactics. In any case, the exam won't be much trouble for you. Watch out for your team when you do get in the field, they'll need your help if they are as dumb as you say. And unless you get more subtle, you'll never pass the chuunin examinations. If I were you, I'd change my style a more appropriate one."

"Now you're giving me advices. Man, before talking you should look at yourself for a minute. You had the same training as me, did all those crazy things for better eyesight or agility, you are as much of a front-liner as I am. Now you teach, an undercover mission, you asked for an easy job instead of retiring as everybody does when they hit 29. Don't tell me about style."

"I was a captain boy, I still am, I'm your superior. It wasn't advice it was an order and I if were you I'd stick to it. Or else you might end up as my assistant and then you'll see boredom like you never saw before. Am I clear, Uzumaki?"

"Sir, yes ,sir!" the blond was on his feet, straight up, gaze fixed forward, hands by his side. An order was an order, he was going to do it. It didn't matter if he liked it or not, discipline was important. As a Core genin he had gone trough many drills that made him act out of reflex. When a superior was talking seriously he listened and responded by the book. How else could a fighting force be coordinated?

Iruka stood up, shadowing the blond. He gave his student one last look, observing even the tiniest movement. Pleased by the perfect "Freeze" he took out a dolphin mask and an ANBU travel cloak and put them on as he was walking. When reaching the door he gave a short command "At ease" an heard the boy relaxing and the 'poof-ing out of existence. He had replaced himself with a Shadow Clone when the rest of the class left! And he, Iruka, hadn't noticed. An ex-assassin hadn't noticed a chakra spike, this was weird. He shrugged it off as another strange thing you see as a shinobi and went to give his weekly report back at HQ.

Meanwhile, the blond was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, heading for his temporary home. Living in an unknown ANBU HQ would look a little suspicious to his classmates and future team members as his entire ninja activity until the age of twelve, at which he was at, consisted of 'private tutoring'. Nobody, except for a selected few, knew the truth about Uzumaki Naruto. Only a dozen people, maybe less, knew that he had an ANBU uniform, battle armor and mask, locked away in a secret location.

Few people addressed him as Lotus. Amongst them were the Third Hokage, reinstated after the death of the 4th, Danzou, the mysterious leader of the Root division of ANBU, Umino Iruka, codename –Dolphin-, a Root agent undercover, working as a teacher at the Shinobi Academy and Hatake Kakashi codename-Hound- ANBU Captain. Apart from these names there were some of his comrades, or ex-comrades but they were in Water Country now, serving as peace-keeping troops.

Since he had been five years old, due to an incident which involved him directly, concerning an ability of his, Naruto underwent shinobi training at an intense level, under the supervision of Danzou and other Root agents. His power level was higher than the normal one for his age, about chuunin in terms of control and offensive force. His training consisted mostly of direct battle techniques, most of them original ones, meant for large scale battles. He enrolled in the Core, the main army of the village, that worked with Samurai army of the country at the age of seven.

At that time a civil war broke out in Water Country. The Mizukage, Water Shadow, and his brother the Daimyo, Feudal Lord, tried to pass a law which would forbid ninja belonging to the old clans from receiving any training or following the ways of their ancestors. The clans united and declared war. Konoha had an allegiance with the rebel leader, Yukimaru and his clan, the Hyosashi, and so they entered the conflict. Naruto, by his request had been part of the Leaf Expeditionary Force, or LEF. His commander had been Itachi, of the Uchiha clan, a kid a few years older than him, regarded as a genius in the ninja arts.

The fighting lasted four years, tearing the country apart. Families split, friends fought with each other, many died. Large scale battles destroyed cities like Kateshima or Kirgakure itself. But in the end, the rebel forces were victorious. Yukimaru was appointed Mizukage and a new alliance, this time between Konoha and Kiri was forged.

During that war Naruto had seen death, even caused and that changed him from a normal kid to a battle thirsty one. When he heard he was going to be transferred to a normal Genin team he smashed all he saw in his path. Now it was already a month since he had joined the Academy and soon he was going to take the normal exams for genins. He wasn't particularly thrilled to be teamed up with two 'brats' and 'some idiot jounin' but it had been an order.

Now he was going to take a brief lunch and then go practice his sword skills in the woods for a few hours. Again, nothing spectacular but it was better than nothing.'Guess it's gonna be that way for a while now. Ain't nothing special about being a genin, only stupid assignments.' With that thought in mind he kept his pace, not looking forward to anything in particular.

Rice Fields country, Sekigahara port, Same time

Arashi stood alone in his study, as he often did lately, staring into an empty ceiling , but not even observing it. For now, the construction of Otokagure hadn't done anything to disrupt the normal way of life of the Fuuma clan. But soon enough they would start to feel the effects. Most likely, the snake-nin, Orochimaru, was only warming his way into the hearth of the Daimyo's council, clearing the path for further actions. Oh yes! Konoha had resources, even with the war effort, which was now nearly zero.

Not even a war had stopped the Leaf from continuing with their plans for the founding of a sister-village in the north. It was still a small one, but well organized and had already started taking missions of low to medium difficulty, soon they would get the high-ranked ones. That had been the traditional job of the Fuuma, but lately the influence of the clan began to fade.

Once Otogakure would be instated as a fully active ninja village, the balance of power will hang on it's side for two main reasons. One, the Leaf itself built it, specialists in many areas, with the experience of seasoned shinobi were sent to supervise the training of Sound-nins. And second, Orochimaru of the Sannin was appointed leader- a former candidate for the title of Hokage to lead a new founded ninja village. That would give it all the credit to establish itself.

'And then the Fuuma will fall. Slowly, that's how we'll die. Slowly and painfully…We won't get so many missions anymore, our old allies will leave us for a better deal. Blood and loyalty won't mean anything in this new arrangement. The one on the handle end of the kunai will have the upper hand. History is full of examples.'

'But it mustn't be that way' a voice in his head said' You have an alternative, Arashi, you can save the clan, if you are ready to make the right sacrifice. You know how, why not take that offer and keep on being an important ninja clan. After all, it's only a change of flag, really. Not so much big of a deal if you wear red instead of dark-green.'

With his mind full of doubt he went to take a nap. Lately he had done that quite often, too. The nightmares counted for little, he needed rest after hours of planning and thinking. Or else, how could he be the clan leader that he should?

End of Chapter one.

Only an introduction to the story, the main plot will start soon. I want it to be of epic length, I've got some ideas and I'd like to use all of them. Review if you're in the mood to…

Alex R out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

It was almost time for the examination of the genin-wannabes. The test was mostly about physical abilities and chakra usage. Low level techniques, or ninjutsu, like changing your appearance, switching your body with an object at high speed, to confuse an attacker, creating a few clones of yourself for diversions, things needed for basic shinobi missions.

The physical part was about stamina, punch and kick power, speed and accuracy with thrown weapons. For a normal person it seemed much, it was like military training, but for ninja these were only basic skills. Later on they were bound to better their arsenal, enlarge the list, according to their own specialization and preferences.

Naruto was still bored out of his mind, watching some kids struggling to create a simple clone or barely hitting a target a few meters away. HE could do that easily, even blindfolded if he would have someone telling him the location of the target. In maximum three strikes he's hit it. Some kids were pretty good for their age, they knew more advanced ninjutsu but still not enough to survive out on a battle field.

Absent mindedly he wondered if an Uchiha, maybe related to Itachi, could spit out a stream of fire as big as he had seen his commander creating. The resemblance was amazing, only that this guy had less rough features, and his gaze was softer, friendly. Uchiha Itachi had nerves of steel and a look that could drill holes trough stone.

The guy with the dog, Kiba, was also strong but, like him, he wanted more. Naruto liked the kid because both had the same feral edge in their voices when discussing about battle or violence. The name 'Fang' was well given to him. With a few months in a Root training routine he might be worth some credit.

Apart from these two, the rest looked pretty normal, or as normal as shinobi could look. Spikes of chakra now and then, whenever a jutsu went wrong or somebody used too much power, some badly aimed throws ending with bruises and cuts, a bone fracture when some brat tried to punch a rock with full force and that was all. His turn came up and he stepped forward, jumping from the tree branch he had sat on.

The accuracy part went without any trouble. Twelve targets in different positions and angles surrounded him. The trick was to give yourself a bit of a spin while throwing and do the throw itself with medium effort, only a slight movement of the wrist. The strength and speed part were also easy, the dummies that 'attacked' him fell easily to his hits.

The ninjutsu posed no problem for him. The replacement was done with a leaf instead of a log, a much harder choice for a diversion as it was smaller and lighter. The transformation was flawless, a perfect copy of the teacher, only that it had the same voice as Iruka, unlike most disguises. The clones were solid, five Shadow type-ones that had a physical body, reason and habits just like the original, plus their own chakra system.

A perfect score on his part, impressing the class with the unique approach to the basics. That was the entire test, he received a forehead protector, that was symbol of the Independent, and put it on with a little bit of nostalgia, although he didn't knew what it was. He felt sorry for all the good times in the Core, the guys back in Kiri, the frontline, and deep within his soul he realized that those days were over, he would never do those things again.

The Uchiha did as well as him, using some tricks of his own, and so the two got the title 'Rookies of the Year'. Sasuke, as he found out his name was, asked him if he had some spare time after school, some of the kids were going to celebrate their promotion at a restaurant nearby. Absently, Naruto agreed and so, when they were free to go, about nine kids, including the blond left together, some laughing, others excited and some pretty bored.

"So, Naruto, tell us about yourself. We don't know much since you joined us so late. You did some real cool stuff back there. Where did you study until now?"

"I've had private tutors since I was about five and I traveled a lot so I don't know the village very well. Both my parents died in the battle with the Nine Tails Fox, twelve years. Actually I was born on October 10th, the very day of the attack."

"Oh…sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"No it's ok. My father was a friend of the 3rd so I was raised by the Sarutobi clan and when I was six I left the village. I journeyed trough the southern part of the continent to Tea Country, Sea Country, Waves country, even Water Country. I know that part of the world pretty well."

"Wasn't it dangerous in Kiri? With the war going on?"

"I wasn't I Kirigakure no Sato, I went there when it surrendered but I mostly stayed in the northern ports. My travel companion was a ninja working as a messenger between Leaf army commanders, I learned a thing or two from him. Actually you might know him, Hyuuga-san."

A girl with dark-blue hair and white eyes with no irises looked up from her plate." Oh, I'm Hinata. You can call me like that, I don't like the name Hyuuga. But what about that man?"

"His name was Hyuuga Mizuro. He was part of the Main, the leading branch of the Hyuuga clan."

"I'm sorry, I've never heard that name before. And I know almost all Main Family members. I'm the eldest daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi, the clan leader. It's my job to get acquainted with everyone."

"Ok then, never mind. Maybe it's because he hasn't been in the village for quite a while now." 'So you don't know either. I didn't expect you to, this is most likely S-rank information. I'll find you out and then I'll have some questions for you.' He remade the promise.

"So a big part of my life was spent on the road and mid-way towns. I don't know Konoha very well, it's been a while since I last saw it."

"Do you live with the Sarutobis? Did they train you? Do you know any advanced ninjutsu? You must know, by the way you did all those tests. Who do you think you'll be teamed up with?..."

"Woa woa there. What is this, an interrogation?" his tone was a happy one. " I can't start telling you guys about everything, it'll take days." Sasuke looked down, a bit embarrassed. He had finally found a really strong guy. And if he traveled in the southern regions, he must have met Itachi. But for now he would take things easy.

Kiba, broke the silence with a question everyone had on their minds " So, what do you think? About the teams I mean." A girl with blond hair, tied in a long ponytail and blue eyes, lighter than Naruto's, stopped starring at said blond and said " They'll probably be balanced ones. You know, like strong with less strong."

"Yeah" on the other side of the table a pink haired girl –talking about weird shinobi looks-supported her statement. "Ino's right, and besides that, they'll be made out of two boys and a girl. Iruka-sensei told us that a few weeks ago, weren't you paying attention?" Kiba smirked "Nope. I was playing cards with Naruto. By the way, dude, what was that stunt you pulled last week? What's with you and Iruka-sensei?"

"Oh" the boy lazily drank the tea in his cup" Me and Iruka go way back. When I was training with the Sarutobi he would sometimes check my progress and test me from time to time." He didn't mention what kind of testing. Iruka was at the time second in command of the Assassination Squad and would later be captain when Hatake Kakashi retire. " Oh yeah, those were the times. Didn't have a care in the world. Now we're officially shinobi of the Leaf, he lifted his cup mockingly and drank from it as if it were wine.

"It's gonna be fun" Sasuke tried to re-assure him" We're going on the field, we'll see action. I can't wait to meet an enemy shinobi face to face."

"Yeah, he'd probably smash yours." Everybody laughed. For some reason the attention of the three girls shifted from the raven-haired Uchiha to the blond Uzumaki. Kiba and Chouji –a rather chubby looking kid, with whom Naruto had some time too- started playing cards. What Kiba didn't knew was that Couji had a deck of his own, hidden neatly in an inner pocket.

Next to Naruto, and on the other side, next to Sasuke, two rather quiet kids were playing chess. One was wearing a long coat and sunglasses while the other had normal clothes. He wore his newly received forehead protector on his left arm. They seemed to be highly concentrated on a game of chess, it had already progressed to mid-game as Naruto saw it. The one with sunglasses gave the other a Royal Fork, threatening both the Queen and the King with a Knight. He was forced to loose the queen to get his King to safety.

The blond paid little attention to what happened next, he was kind of sleepy, pretty unusual for him at this time of day. So when the bill came he left the money on the table and said goodbye to the rest of them. After exiting the restaurant he jumped on the nearest rooftop and then on a water tower overlooking the village. He decided to go to the woods instead of simply taking a nap, some exercise would be good now.

His plans were interrupted by a squad of ANBU on patrol. The four of them surrounded him on a lonely rooftop." You don't possess a shinobi license. Using this type of travel is illegal for non-ninja. The military police can deal with you." Naruto had forgotten his forehead protector at the Academy, and now he regretted it. Only ninja could travel on rooftops, it was specially reserved for them, in case of emergency. It was a surprise for the patrolling ANBU when he pulled out a blank mask, symbol of the Root, so they let him be.

Hokage's office, same time

"As you must have guessed, I have task for you. It's very important for the village that you succeed so you should give this your full attention. Failure will have catastrophic results. Do you accept." In front of him was an ANBU fully dressed in battle armor.

"And what exactly are the requirements of this mission, Hokage-sama?" The man's voice was low, like an assassins. The third Hokage, Saruto Hisuke smirked and then let out a large puff of smoke, from the pipe in his mouth.

"Take off your mask. You shall resume your former identity and be taken out of the ANBU corps. You no longer have the rank of High Captain, instead you will be named Elite Jounin along with a selected few others. Actually, you will all have similar tasks. Here, this file says everything." His smirk grew as the man read the paper in his hands.

"So it's time." The elder nodded and looked out the window. "I did not expect this honor, Hokage-sama. There are others better than me in this field. Why do you need an expert killer?"

"Oh, it's the best choice. Only the reading of those files speaks volumes about what your job will and which direction you shall follow. The village, through me, decided that this was best."

"What about the third element? I see nothing special there. Actually 'I could name better ones."

"I'm sure you can, so do my former team-mates, Koharu and Homura. But I am Hokage and this is my decision. Every assassin needs fog and cover. Are all the details clear? If so you are dismissed." The man disappeared out the window and blurred away trough the high buildings of the village, making followers lose his trail in alleys and low areas. The Hokage allowed himself another smirk, or more likely a smile. A happy one.

Country of Rain, capital-city, a few hours later

Multiple shadows appeared in the once empty cave, see-trough images of their original possessors. It was had to distinguish any specific trait in their appearance, only their eyes shone brightly, in their true form. Apart from that, all had high collar robes.

"So we are finally gathered. Welcome, comrades, to the future!" one of them, standing in the middle, spoke with a cold voice, a mechanical one."

"I'm impressed. You really did get all of us. All the SS-rank shinobi this continent has. Deidara, the terrorist from Stone village, Zetsu, the cannibal, Hidan, leader of the Jashin Cult, Kakuzu, the 'soul-eater'. Sasori, the master puppeteer of the Sand Village. Even an Uchiha, Itachi of Konoha. I truly am impressed."

"You know us pretty well, Hoshigaki Kisame. You used to be a Hunter-nin in Kirigakure no Sat before the war so I imagine you know the Bingo Books by hearth. You failed ,though, to mention the last two members. Me and my partner." Kisame laughed with a crazy note in his voice.

"Oh, I know you too. I know you very well actually, from you deeds in the northern lands, especially in Lightning country. But information is not cheap. What amazes we, tough is the recruitment of Itachi-san. I thought you are a devoted man of the Leaf, you led the final assault upon my former village" He showed no signs of regret or anger for this, if possible, his tone took on a new level of craziness.

"My reasons, as all of yours, are my own. I am a part of the organization now."

"We have important things to discus and time works against us I'm afraid. All of you have distinct abilities of the highest caliber. Our purpose requires them greatly, we need small elite teams that can travel unnoticed trough any country and fulfill their tasks while avoiding detection from the ninja villages. The teams will be of two members each. Only Zetsu will work alone. His Kekkei Genkai is useful for espionage but no one can keep the same pace with him."

"So what are our tasks? You've been pretty mysterious about that until now."

"You all know of the Bijuu Lords, the tailed demons" everyone nodded, shocked by the topic. "In the past, each village has tried to harness their powers in order to grow their own. That is what brought a level of stability among the warring nations, none wanted to see it's lands destroyed by the enemy's demon even if they had their own to counter. Until about one hundred and fifty years ago, demons or demon-hosts had fought rarely but each time the battle ended with great consequences. The villages mutually agreed to keep them at bay. The last demon to be subdued was the Nine-Tail Fox, and right now Konohagakure no Sato hides it."

"Thank you for this political history lesson but these are well known facts among the elites of the shinobi profession. I want to know a purpose for all this trouble."

"Our goal, from this second onwards is to capture every one of those demons. When the villages loose them, they'll blame each other and begin wars under this pretext. In the war that shall come, we will have the upper hand, we will act as mercenaries for the nations that pay the most. The Five Great Nations may survive but the small ones will go bankrupt. In the end even the strongest will hold no chance and we shall dominate them all."

End of chapter two.

Just review it so we can all be happy.

Alex R out.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

It was about two or three hours after all the other team shad left with their sensei, and Team Seven was still in waiting for their own. Iruka had left with an apologetic look, saying has some business to take care of, but Naruto knew he had a new report to present, with every graduate's skill level and specialization. 'I wonder what he's write about me?'

Sasuke was staring out the window, dreaming of days past, not paying attention to anything around him, not even a lone shinobi jumping around or a stray knife from the kids practicing down bellow. He almost got killed a few times but he didn't even notice. 'Probably in his little dream world. Hate to break balls though so I'll let him be.'

Haruno Sakura, the girl with pink hair was sharpening a kunai of her own design, a little longer than the standard type and more to black than the usual grey. She didn't pa any attention to the two boys the entire day. When the teams were announced many were shocked to see three top students in the same squad but their own reaction lacked enthusiasm. Naruto woke up, Sasuke re-entered the real world with a smile and Sakura flipped Iruka off with no reason at all.

Outside, ninja in jounin standard outfit, with his face half-covered by a mask and his left eye covered by his head-band stood expectantly, leaning on a tree. His chakra awareness was extended up to one hundred meters, covering the whole building of the Academy and the annexed dojo. Currently there were fifty five people in the building, most of them kids staying after class for training. He could detect some jounin from their chakra and two medium sized chakra flares coming from sub-chuunins. What was interesting was that he could detect an ANBU chakra level near those two. Under his mask he smiled. 'So you've gotten better, Naruto.'

Back inside the classroom, boringness reached new heights. Sakura was day-dreaming too while Sasuke took a nap. Naruto on the other hand became alert"Hey guys! Wake up, we've got company." Before his teammates could respond properly smoke filled the room, paralyzing type. Naruto's first reaction was to head to the windows so he could make an escape. But the one who was responsible for the sudden ruckus stood in his path, one kunai in each hand.

"Shadow Kakashi. What brings you here? Have you gotten nostalgic all of a sudden?" His teammates were on the ground, unable to move properly. Between coughs, Sakura observed the two that stood on their feet. Naruto was alert while the masked man called Kakashi relaxed his grip on the kunai. Sasuke tried to think of a plan. But NAruto relaxed too. "Who is this guy, Naruto-kun?"

"Hatake Kakshi. Your new jounin-sensei, I'll be leading team 7 at least until all three of you make jounin. I don't like long introductions so I'll just say I like things well done. Haruno Sakura, likes, dislikes, dreams"

"I like training. I dislike you. You should know my dream but I'll say it anyway. I want to kill a certain person." Kakshi just nodded, unimpressed and pointed to Sasuke. "You're up Uchiha"

"I like gardening and meditation. I dislike being who I am. My dream is to catch up and surpass…a person I know." Again the jounin didn't look to care so he turned to Naruto only to find him missing. And then his senses told him to duck, just in time to avoid a sword slash. "I like using this sword. I hate mist and moisture. I have a dream."

"Great, I've got a team of idiots. You weren't expecting my attack back there so I could have easily slit your throats and hide your bodies somewhere in the woods. Then I'll claim you were killed in an accident involving an assassination attempt."

"So why didn't you do it? Stop talking shit, Kakashi, if you could pull something like that you would have done it. Why the fuck were you late? I thought a high-ranked bastard like you knows about punctuality," Naruto sheathed his sword and then his teammates saw something they hadn't observed. It was a two-bladed katana.

"Language Naruto-kun, you're my subordinate now."

"Screw this. If you keep up with this bullshit I'm quitting right now. Fuck the whole ninja thing if I have to take shit from a gay porn-addict like you. You ain't my boss Scarecrow, you're a just a temporary squad leader so drop the attitude will you?" Kakashi yawned.

"I'll write a report. Hokage-sama monitors behavior of all shinobi so that the efficiency of four and six-man squads can be kept to a maximum. You may need some counseling on your authority problem, Naruto-kun." Naruto flipped him off. "So let's get down to business, shall we." The other two nodded.

"We are team 7, a four-man cell. I am your captain, when I give an order you execute it without any question or hesitation. My job is to get you back home safely but if I am to do that you will follow my lead, no matter what happens. Once we're out there we'll be in constant danger. None of you is allowed to die." Sasuke's mouth was wide and even Naruto seemed to listen carefully.

"You done yet? Come on, we don't have all day for stupid-ass speeches, we have to get a mission from Independent HQ!"

"Aa, Sakura-san, I was just explaining the basics because…"Kakashi's lazy response was interrupted as the girl proceeded to the door. Naruto followed closely, his hand clutched to his sword.

'Interesting. I didn't know Core taught them sword techniques. I can't wait for a battle, Naruto-kun, so I can see how much you've improved. I still think it was a mistake for you to be sent here but then again, I am not Hokage. Nor do I want to. The Third knows his job.' The jounin closely observed his new subordinate as they were passing the deserted halls of the Academy. Third floor.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sasuke approached him" I have a question."

"What is it?" well at least one of them was polite" Is there something bothering you?"

"I've wanted to ask this for a long time now but only shinobi have access to this kind of information. My father and brother wouldn't tell me but now you can. What this the number?" he said in a low tone. His teammates turned their heads, curios. Kakashi studied him a second.

'So he likes to gather info huh? Neither Itachi nor Fugaku would disclose the existence of…'

"The number. Indeed, only active shinobi have the right to know about it. It's a new system that Konoha uses, in order to classify teams and individuals, and then better decide what assignments would suit them best. Basicaly, everyone in the Independent has one, a number, depending on how strong he is. It is the average of nine other numbers representing- Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, Weaponry, Tactics, Chakra Level, Chakra Control ,Seals and Special. For all of these there is a number and the Special are given for successful missions or outstanding deeds. The higher a team is ranked the bigger the chances that it would get more and more important missions. Promotion to higher ranks is also done according to it. You still have to pass an exam but you only take it if you have the ranking for it."

"What's out team's ranking then?"

"Twenty-one. That qualifies us for low ranking missions like shopping or gardening. If you want to advance from Gening, to the next level, the Chuunins, you must have a team average of one hundred. And keep in mind that I don't count in it. Jounin must have at least 600 and the Special Tactics and Assassination Squad members, 1000. In order to be a candidate for the title of Hokage you must have an average of 3000." Sasuke's mouth was wide and Sakura took a while to let it sink." That's how it is."

"You sure like the sound of you own voice, don't you Scarecrow? Why did they call you that since it's obvious you suck at it." Naruto pointed out a nearby window where a crow was passing by .The bird seemed to make a strange sound 'Ahoo! Ahoo!- trans.- "Stupid! Stupid!'. Kakasho sweat-dropped." That was a harsh comment Naruto. Let's stop for a minute.'

"What for?! Sakura asked impatiently". Just because of a stupid joke ?"

"No, Haruno-san. I don't care for idiotic jokes:" Naruto seemed to ignore it" but when someone traps me in an illusion then things go ugly."

"What are you talking about?"

"We're on the third floor. We've been on it ever since we left the room. And even tough we already went down two sets of stairs, none of us seemed to be bothered by the fact that the floor is still nr.3."

"But why would there be an illusionary technique in a building full of kids? Or is the caster going for one of us?" Naruto looked at the watch on his wrist. Three o'clock. "Apparently our temporal sense works just fine. It's just a spatial disorienting illusion."

"Very good, Naruto. Indeed, time passes normally but we stay on this floor. Our attention is diverted by the chakra flow so we don't care about it. But if we were to be targeted we would be drawn to a better suited location for an ambush. No, whoever is doing this wants people to stay out the Academy. Only that we were already in it so we can't leave."

"So what do we do now?"

"Well, Sasuke, our priority is to gain info. We must know what we're confronting with before taking action." 'But we are an assault-type squad, reconnaissance is not our field. I could do it easily but I'd have to leave them alone. Naruto may have some experience but not enough. One option.' "Ninja Arts: Summoning Technique!"

In a room on the fourth floor

"Sayuri. Do you sense that?"

"Someone's in the building. And he's molding chakra. Lot's of it. I can't pinpoint him but the disturbance comes from the floor beneath. It's messing with my jutsu."

"I'll take care of him. You keep on preparing the seal. Remember, all the symbols must be in place. If you miss one, it will backfire, rather ugly. So keep focused, I'll hold the illusion. If anything happens…"

"Don't say that! You'll return for sure and then we'll finish our plan!"

"If I don't make it…do your duty. Stick to the protocol and leave as fast as possible."

"Shut up! You'll jinx yourself! Just be careful, nobody can know of our presence here. It was his wish and we'll fulfill it, the both of us! Then we'll go back home and forget about it all."

"Yeah…" the voice, belonging to a man, in his twenties most likely, tried to be reassuring. But the other one, a woman, sensed some sadness in it. She took his hand and looked him in the eye. Blue met blue.

Back with Team 7

The three genin were watching a small, brown dog with a jacket and a leaf band. It had emerged from a cloud of smoke just minutes ago. Kakashi had greeted him and called him Pakun. "So you're in a genjutsu? It pretty well done, which means the caster took time with it. He's been in the building for hours which means he had to hide from the teachers and instructors."

"We deduced as much. But we must find out more about him and for that we must split up. Pakun, you'll join me and Sasuke, well be a moving unit. He knows the building well. Naruto and Sakura, you'll stay here and act as a long-range support. While Haruno-san tries to dispel or at least minimize the illusion, Naruto will stand guard and keep permanent contact with me trough station. Sakura, you may need this." He took out a scroll from one of his pockets and gave it to her. "When you try to destabilize the flux channel your chakra so that it passes this seal."

"Understood." She sat in a cross-legged position and opened the scroll in the middle of the corridor. Naruto looked at Kakashi with a serious face. " Your plan has leaks. If there is more than one enemy then you will be intercepted while searching the place. The building is big so there are lots of places good for ambushing."

"What do you suggest?"

"I'll guide you and give you info on the location of the enemy. I have a jutsu for this, it uses sound-waves so it's ideal for an enclosed space like this. But it won't reach to the forth floor so do your best to keep them on this one."

"Let's go!" The trio ran off and took a turn, disappearing from view. Naruto had his eyes closed and hands on the wooden floor, scanning the area. Sakura began molding chakra and soon enough the wall became blurry. Her justu and the illusion were fighting.

Kakashi took another turn saw the corridor split. "Sasuke and Pakun to the left!" He took right and re-met them a few minutes later. "Right now were are in the southeast corner. The enemy probably became mobile himself so keep sharp."

"_This is Naruto! One chakra source in the west wing, moving fast. He's going straight forward. Take the next turn left then keep current course. You'll fall in his rear." _They did as told and accelerated their pace. Those who could took out a kunai.

"_Oh shit! He'__s changing course. He knows you're there so he'll try to flank you. Maintain position, he'll come from the left. He's constantly molding chakra. I think he's the one casting the illusion."_ The three took a defensive position, readying themselves. _"He's changing course again, Damn it! The bastard's fast. I'll try to stall him." _A series of bangs told them that Naruto had begun.

"_Get ready, he's coming. I think I hit him but it's serious. He has chakra leaking out of his system at a constant rate. Sakura says the genjutsu is fading so you'll have no problem seeing you."_

"Distance?"

"_Fifty and go down. Time until contact. Fiftheen seconds…..Ten seconds….Five seconds….NOW!" _But the jounin, gening and nin-dog didn't see anyone. Nor did they hear any noise the corridor remained empty. Then all of a sudden Naruto shouted over the com-link "_BRACE YOURSELVES!"_ a second before a gust of wind swept trough. It had been enough for Kakashi who caught Sasuke and Pakun and held his ground. The wind stopped and shuriken flew from a moving shadow on the other side. He ducked.

Sasuke leapt and countered with a few kunai but the shadow was fast, it navigated right trough the small barrage of metal, going for Kakashi. But the jounin was ready with two kunai. They clashed with a screech and jumped back. Sasuke made hand-seals "Fire Style: Grand Fireball" and directed the flames to the other side of the corridor.

"_Better watch out, he's multiplied with a clone jutsu. There's two of them now but I can't tell who the real one is." _Kakashi blocked some other blows but there were coming in faster and faster and the space for maneuver was limited. The fire had no effect and was easily put out by the mysterious enemy. With every passing second the danger grew. Now there was a clone to support him.

He had to end it fast, a prolonged battle would lead to the death of one of his comrades. Suddenly he heard another shout trough the com-link "_GET BACK!"_ and so he jumped again as 'something' emerged from the walls. It was mobile and looked like a square pole. And most surprising, it went for the shadow instead of him. 'Naruto's jutsu! But what is that…' Realization hit him hard and for a second he couldn't move at all. It was wood. Naruto knew Mokuton!

More came out of the floor and ceiling and soon the enemy had to back off. He was surrounded and promptly assaulted while Sasuke and Pakun stared. Kakashi still didn't knew what to think of it. But the surprise that would follow would be even greater and more alarming. Their enemy turned to smoke. "_You were fighting the clone! The real one's passed you. He's heading this way!"_ Now the race was on.

In the maze of the corridors, who looked even more confusing due to the illusion and the blurriness, two men and a dog ran after a shinobi dressed in full black attire. Kakashi took the lead and began distancing himself, but the other guy was also fast. Out of nowhere he turned and shot a jet of water at him while in motion. And then some shuriken. Kakashi threw his own, slowly catching up. Since they didn't have to turn every time, the trio took advantage of the seconds the shadow needed to attack.

Ahead of them, the jounin could see his other two students, one sitting and the other battle ready. Now they had him. He was surrounded and Kakashi couldn't wait for some answers. And not just from the enemy. Naruto took out his sword and ran forward, where he met the enemy's katana. Sasuke jumped in with a kunai and in exactly four seconds the man was on the ground. But the jounin still didn't relax he had to paralyze or make him pass out before…

"Poison pill. Hidden in one of his teeth, no doubt. This guy was only a diversion, he planned to die from the start. Which means we have another enemy, and he is on the forth floor."

"The genjutsu is gone. And I can't sense anyone in the building but us. If there was a second shinobi then he disappeared. And there is no chakra source less than a mile away." Naruto said in a low tone.

"We played into their game. Let's report this to the Third and call it a day. I doubt that whoever was up there left any trace. But before that. Naruto, where did you learn to do what you did?"

"Read my file. Closely. You'll find your answers there. For now I'll keep this a secret of my own. But I do not posses Senjuu blood. On the other hand, I am curios to know how our opponent looks like." He took of the dead man's mask and stared. Sakura voiced what all five, human and canine were thinking.

"If he were ten years younger he would look just like you, Naruto. Same hair, same eyes, same face. But I don't recognize that head-band."

"This is surely an interesting day" Kakashi spoke." Pakun, you might remember that sign from the days you fought alongside my father. He had nightmares over it for months."

"Huh? Sensei, what are you talking about?"

"That, Sasuke, is the symbol of the Hidden Dragonfly Village. And the last man to wear it in battle died thirty years ago."

On a tree branch a few miles outside Konoha

A cloaked figure clutched it's hands, looking at the high walls of the Leaf Village. "Goodbye, Saizo. I am sorry you couldn't find your peace. I love you and I will love you until I die. Rest in peace, Shadow of the Moutains."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

It was a strange silence in the office as the four shinobi finished their long and strange report. The nature of the facts was not an unusual one, as the Third regularly dealed with enemy attacks or infiltration attempts. Such a large village like Konoha was hard to supervise and so it was often that some would try to sneak in, disguised as civilians. All they had to do is go trough the gates.

But this time there was a problem. The Hidden Village of the Dragonfly had been destroyed decades ago. The Leaf had had been at war with them but it was another village, unknown until today, that struck the last blow after the signing of a peace agreement. If rogue nins with loyalty ties with the Dragonfly existed then why would they come to Konoha. And what were they doing in the Academy. He already ordered it searched in and out, every room and corridor but there was nothing.

"At the moment we have nothing else to do but increase our security status and wait. This information is classified as B-rank, anyone under Chuunin is forbidden to know. In your mission log I will add it as a completed B-rank scouting and investigation type. You can get your pay from the Mission Centre right away. You all did a fine job, even though there are still missing pieces."

"Hokage-sama. I would like to request another mission for my team. Since they proved their worth they can receive C or B ranked with no risk."

"True, still their level does not allow B ranked ones. A mere 55 is impressive for the first day, yet B ranked are given at 90. If your team successfully completes two C ranks then you can go further. And lucky for you, I have a C rank ready. Team 7 do you agree?"

"Yes!"

"A man from the Country of Waves is in need of protection returning home and completing a certain building- he is an architect. At the moment he is stationed in Tanzaku Gai under the supervision of a chuunin. In this file you will the address?"

"Why does he need shinobi? C rank guarding means bandits and wild animals and there are lots of mercenaries for hire."

"For some reason he paid enough for a B-ranked while the mission requires C expertise. He insisted on being guarded by a team on ninja. Should things complicate themselves you can advance the mission status and then with it that way, Kakashi. If enemy ninja interfere call for back up and then return to the village."

"I would like to request B rank equipement."

"Approved. Chuunin type battle armor, a tanto and twelve exploding seals for each. I doubt you'll be wearing yours Kakashi. Your genin can get them from the depots this afternoon. You leave in two days for Tanzaku Gai."

"Understood." And so the tree genin departed. Naruto went to a music store to get some new CDs, Sasuke left for the Uchiha training grounds and Sakura to a restaurant for a late lunch. Kakashi went to get some 'crack…..ers' and a 'por…..table pc'. But nobody believed him so he just shrugged. So the next day passed with one blond kid singing all alone in his apartment, a black haired one getting lost in the Uchiha grounds- "big ass woods"- and a pink haired one sleeping 24 in a row. A silver haired man was caught while exposing himself in a bar but unfortunately he was wearing a mask covering half his face so nobody recognized him- he escaped a few minutes later.

So the next day came and Kakashi, for the first time in days stood present at the correct hour. Naruto was eating some fast-food breakfast and Sakura was reading a paper. They all looked like shit.

"Hey, Sakura, can I have that newspaper please." He got it and began searching through the pages." Hmm, that's odd. I thought that would be big news."

"You thought what would be big news?"

"There seems to be an absence of a certain ornithological species. A lack of an avian variety." Sakura looked at him like he was crazy.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, have you not heard? It was to my knowledge that everybody knew about 'the word'."

"What wor….?" Sakura was even more confused. Kakashi was making desperate gestures and eventually shouted at the same time with her" SAKURA DON'T!"

"EVERYBODY'S HEARD…ABOUT THE BIRD…BIRD BIRD BIRD…THE BIRD IS THE WORD…I SAID BIRD BIRD BIRD….THE BIRD IS THE WORD." While Naruto sang Kakashi drew a kunai. Sakura's eyes grew wide then surprise turned into annoyance and then anger. Naruto had begun dancing some idiotic dance while the other two chased him around. Sasuke arrived filled with tree branches, leaves mud and looking like he was starving. "Fucking big ass woods…" he kept muttering. From a rooftop their old classmates watched with pity. Kiba spoke"I guess all the fighting and missions got to them. Poor guys, good ninja gone crazy." He got hit in the head.

Meanwhile Team 7 got on the move, walking at normal speed to their destination. The client was waiting for them in the evening so there was no rush. Naruto had an ugly bruise on his faca, Sakura fingered a kunai in her pocket, ready to interrupt another 'great hit'. Sasuke was talking to Kakashi, telling him of the past 48 hours while the jounin pretended to listen.

"So I had to wait for a cousin of mine in the damn woods but he never showed up. Nasty part was that I forgot if it was the first or the second river. By nighttime I was so freaking hungry I almost ate a live squirrel. Little predator bit me and then ran off. An owl was planned for desert but the scariest shit happened- it turned it's head at 360!- man I was fucking freaking out I ran an fell into the river. Some dead guy floating around- I got out and ate a fucking tree. I ate it all I was so fucking hungry that I actually ate a whole tree!!! Man it was strange."

"Oh yeah? Cool….."

"The instinct for survival man, it's in our blood! I fried myself a rat on a some stones. It was disgusting but then it hit me! I realized I was a MAN, a survivor, I was the leader! It was fucking awesome to feel like a man of the woods!"

"Yeah, yeah, nice…What happened next?"

"My mom came out and told me to stop playing around in the back yard." He said with a resigned tone.

"Wait a minute, how far were you from home? In meters."

"About ten or twelve." Kakashi sweat dropped. "Yeah, those were the worst 20 minutes of my life!" Kakashi decide to leave him and talk with Naruto. "So, how've you been?"

"Nothing."

"…."

"Dude, the Green Trooperz are the fucking best. You know, they are so totally awesome."

"Why so? I don't think I've ever heard of them before."

"Oh yeah, they rock. All though they're all about peace, you know, against hatred and drug addiction. Oh, man it would so great if they actually existed." Kakashi sweat-dropped again and moved away. Sakura was looking a bit on the edge and Naruto was slowly re-picking up the tune so he put some distance. On the other hand the road was very peaceful, flanked by trees and empty.

So peaceful he wanted to pass a kunai through his throat and listen to the sound of his own slow death. Not even some rude travelers to insult or some smart ass kid to kick, So he did the one thing that he liked most, above all else. He began laughing. By himself. Out of no reason. He laughed like a maniac. Imagine a silver hair jounin laughing by himself, followed by a dark haired kid pretending to fight a monster squirrel from his back yard and then a pink haired girl chocking a blond boy trying to sing about 'the BIRD'.

"SUUUUURRRRRRFIIIIIIIINNNNNNN' BIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRD'"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, NARUTO!"

A crow in sky "Ahoo!" And the sun shone brightly upon the four ninja, soon to be three due to staff cuts and unpredicted accidents. Many good ninja seemed to suffer from stupidity lately and one of the last stage of this disease consisted in a blade in the skull. Naruto jumped around, barely missing the kunai, while obliviously dancing to his own tune. Only Sasuke ignored him. Then all of a sudden a sound was heard in the sky.

All looked up curios to see a fast moving object passing over their heads and making an annoying sound, like a series of small explosions. Naruto's look softened and he kept walking while his teammates inquired Kakashi. But the jounin seemed to be silent as well.

"It's one of those captured in Kiri." Naruto spoke in a low tone, a dark one" That sound usually meant only one thing- Grimm Reaper. That's what we called it in the first days. Then at one point we captured a base and secured some of those. Rain Country used to make them but fuel is incredibly hard to produce."

"What is it? Some sort of animal? Or a ninjutsu device?" Sakura was listening to every word, analyzing the tone. "How does it fly?"

"I'll draw a sketch when we reach our destination. It's a device made of wood with a metal core and on the front there's a screw type object. It can carry a man at about 3000 m and flies with a few hundred km per hour. I know it might seem pretty cool but once you get used to it and you fly it the whole fun goes away."

"Huh?"

"The Kirigakure forces used it to drop projectiles on ground troops and for reckon. Some have a kunai thrower on so they can hit other planes. We copied the model and now there are some in Fire Country. They need special landing areas and stuff and if there is any defection while in mid air, then you die. In a burning pile of wood, falling down to the ground at high speeds. Air-plane."

"You can fly it? That's awesome? And if it goes so fast then distances will be reduced. You get from Konoha to Tenkyo in one hour or less!"

"Fuel is very hard to produce and the materials are hard to exploit. It takes coal, mixed with some kind of acid, then the paste is turned into powder trough lots of heat. The powder is liquefied in a bath of salts until it becomes clear like water. It tastes like hell. To produce one liter is to exploit it's weight in gold." Sakura becam quiet, still amazed by the things she had just found out. "It burns very fast too and releases a lot of heat. Some tried to make the engine work with other materials but it didn't work out."

"What if there were something good enough?"

"then we ninja would be dead. One hundred of those could go trough the entire defense system of Konoha like butter. In a few hours the village would be burning. Until now shinobi were the only ones capable of doing things like these and that's what made us so important for world politics" Kakashi took over from a depressed Naruto." The power balance in the world is held by the hidden villages. A country won't attack another out of fear that enemy shinobi might rampage them. When two countries have hidden villages they normally try to solve things without a shinobi battle."

"Why doesn't this guy hire a ninja from his own country rather than from Konoha. It would be easier for all."

"It's about thirty years since Wave has had a hidden village of it's own. The Hidden Village in the Hills was destroyed in a war back then. It was chaos, hidden villages emerging everywhere and lots of new alliances."

"What's so bad about new villages? It's not like they were our enemies from day one."

"Sakura, you didn't you who was your friend and who was your foe. Secret pacts were made everywhere and nobody knew what would come next. It's the period before the Third Great Secret War, the main cause for which Konoha declared war on Iwa."

"That's wrong, Kakashi-sensei. Iwa was the one to start the aggressions, burning down the capital of Bird Country. Konoha came to help. I remember Iruka-sensei telling us that."

"What you learned back then was incorrect, Sasuke. Konoha declared war three weeks before that incident by attacking an Iwa cell passing by Fire Country. Bird Country was our ally but we couldn't protect it. In truth, Konoha wanted war from the beginning. Without it we would have lost a lot of strength but instead we became the strongest village of the five."

"That's a very selfish act! And a stupid one, war doesn't solve anything…"

"Do you question the decisions of your Hokage?" Kakashi rose one of his eyebrows" Would you rather have peace and be reduced to nothing but a settlement? Konoha is what it is because the Third took all the best decisions. You might say war is not going to solve a problem but in fact people have mostly relied on war for it. If you still believe that's wrong then you go against the will of the village leader. Sarutobi-sama is a hero, Sasuke,."

With that the argument was over. Naruto kept sulking all they way, becoming extremely quiet. Sakura and Sasuke left him be and kept silence themselves while Kakashi began reading a book from his pocket. It was going to get dark soon, the sun had vanished and only the bright orange and purple clopuds remained. In the distance they could see the high towers of Tanzaku Gai.

The End

I don't know how many chapters I'll publish in one row. I don't actually care, right now my mood is awful. Outside it's raining and a little foggy, it's be evening soon. Just review these chapters. :-

Alex R out.


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